Improved excavating machine



@with gisten @anni @fitta ELIAS Ii. WILLHMS, OF GRAND MEADOW, IOWA, AND l). It. W. WILLIAMS,

OF WERNER, WISCONSIN.

Letters Patent lVo. 69,378, dated October l, 186i'.

IMPROVED EXCAVATING MACHINE.

TO ALL WHOM 'IT MAY CONCERN.;

Be it known that we, E. II. WILLIAMS, of Grand Meadow, State of Iowa, and D. It. W. -WILLIAMS, ofl Werner, State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and improved Machine for Excavating and Moving Earth, it being especially au improvement of the excavator for which Patent No. 35,005 wasissued to E. H. Williams, assignee of E. I-I. and D. It. IV. Williams; and we do hereby declare that the following is a clear, full, and exact description ofthe sa1ne,`ref`erence being had to the accompanying drawings, making a. part of this specification, in which- Figure I. is a perspective view of the left-hand side of our` invention.

Figure 2 is a plane view of a detached portion of the right-hand side of the same.

Figure 3 is a perspective view, from the rear of the machine, of a detached portion of the same, showing a part of the driviug-wheel and the position ot' the upper sets of pulleys around which the elevating-belts revolve. v l

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a detached portion of the bottom of the machine, showing a portion of the driving-wheel and the elevating-belts; also, 'the bottom of the plough, its frame, and draught-bars, and shafts for pulleys placedin'the plougli-frame. i

Figure 5 is a. perspective view of the top or upper side of the plough, showing the mould-board, ploughirarie, shafts and pulleys, and the draught-bars: I

Figure G is a. perspective view ofthe right-hand Coulter and the block which stiil'ens it and serves' to attach it to the frame of the machine, and alsoof its wooden continuation, which, with similar left-hand devices, serve to keep the excavated earth between the belts when the machine is in operation.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the frame that holds the idle pulleys, through which the requisite tension is given to one of the elevating-belts, which, in the description ofthe machine, we call the pressure-belt.

Similar letters .of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different gures.

The parts of the machine shaded red in the,diiferent igures are made of wood, and the parts shaded black are iron,.except the mould-board and sha-re of the plough. which are of steel, as are .the coulters. The belts are shaded blue.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement, in an excavator, of the pressure-belt V, when the same is driven by friction caused by the ascending furrow-slice, in the manner and for the purpose herein described; second, the constructionand arrangement of the two shafts, S S, with their pulleys, in combination with the'pressure-belt V, as herein described; third, the combination of the tightening-pulley L', frame L, and pressure-belt V, in the manner and for the purpose herein/set forth. I

To enable those skilled in the art to construct the invention,.we describe it.

The frame G is'reetangular and oblong, consistingof three parallel bars, firmly tied by cross-bars at the ends. The inner bar is placed nearer one of the bars, so as to give room for the box E, and not interfere with the discharge of the load through its bottom, and so that the inner bar may support the left-hand coulter and side board, and the wheel A be placed between the bars. The frame G should be of suilicicnt length to ail'ord room for the wheel A and the plough with its attachments beh-ind it. i

The box E is rectangular, and of size to hold an ordinary load. This box is so placed that the bach side is nearly over the axle of the wheels A and B. The bottom of the box consists of two hinged doors, which, when closed, are held in their place by the catches a. (t, iig. 1. These catches are attached to .the doors by a rod, chain, and staple, and these' catches may have a cord tied to them to. pull them up after a load has been discharged. The catches are held by the edge of' the plate b, iig. I.

F (g. 1) is a slide, to conduct the earth to the box E, .and is so placed as to receive it as it is discharged by the belts V and W. M M are posts firmly attached to the frame-G, just forward of where the frame G rests upon the axle of the wheels A and B. These pcsts'support the shafts X and X, of which the shaft X (hg. 3) is placed on the ba'ck side of the posts M M, and the shaft X on the front side of the same, and the shaft X is placed above the shaft X sutciently to allow the furrow-'slice to pass between the belts V and W, and these shafts are placed high enough above the frame Gto admit of the box E being made deep enough, and also of -1 the delivery of the earth into the box by means of the slide F.

D is a reach, which may be firmly attached tothe box E, or, as is preferable, tothe frame G, which may be Atilted up in front and down behind till the wheels A A.turn under thc reach, and thus a strong attachment is obtained for the reach. To the axle B may be attached the tongue, through which the power is applied to-the machine.

N N are wood spring-polos, which may be of one or more leaves, according to the size ofthe furrow-slice to b'c excavated. These springsNN are attached to the forward part of the frame G by means of small upright posts n n, and extend backward over or by the side of the posts M M of sufficient length to be attached by chains or cords to the frame L.

The rods O O are attached to the rear of the plough-frameR, (sec figs. 2, 4, and 5,) and extend upward suiiciently to support bythe cross-tie O the springs N N. (See iig. 1.) These rods preserve the tension of the belt V, when the plough is lifted, by lifting the springs.v The frame L (figs. 1 and?) is attached to the upper portion of thc posts M M, and contains the pulleys L', and is used to apply the tension of the springs N N to the belt V. (See iig. 1.) By altering the length of the cords or chains which connect the springs N N to thel frame L, the tension of thesprings can be changed at will.

The side boards K are fastened to the postsM M and to the top of the steel coulters, (scc fig. 6,) and the blocks K are bolted to the bars of the frame G, so as to support the coulters in their proper position, (see iig. 2,) and these blocks must be strong, and strongly fastened, to endure the strain they may be subjected to should the coult-ers como in contact with what cannot be easily cut or cannot be cnt. The coulters should be so placedr as to be distant the width of the belts Vvand W, with the bevel that makes the edge outward, and the curved edge placed as near the rings g g of the wheel A as will permit the wheel to revolve. The lower edge should be bevelled in the same manner, and should have the .point next the .wheel A a little raised, as compared with the heel, and should be low enough to bc just above the surface of the ground. (See iig. 2.) These coulters are rmly attached to the block K, made right and left of steel, and should have their inner surfaces polished and the inner and lower edges sharp. The shapes and positions of these side boa-rds, coulters, and attachments are fully shown in figs. 1, 2, and 6.

Q l) is a lever, which, by means of a rock-shaft, arm, and connecting-rod, (see Q, iig. 2,) raises and lowers the plough. f

P is fastened to the frame G, and its use is to hold the lever Q in any desired. position. (See fig. l.)

H H is a platform, on which the operator stands, who may also manage the team.

The wheel A (figs. 1, 2, and 3) is made with arms, which are slotted to receive thc rings y g g, and slotted so that the ends of the arms may slightly vproject beyond the rings g q g to prevent the belt W from slipping. The rings g g g arc made of equal size, of thin, narrow strips, are bcnt edgewise, composed of two pieces, so they can be placed in the slotted ends of the arms, and are then bolted together so as to form a complete -ring. -The number of the rings g g depends upon the breadth of the face of the wheel A, and they should be enough to support the belt W and still leave the spaces between the rings large enough to permit the earth to pass through, if any should get between the belt W and the face of the wheel. The outer rings of the wheel A, g g', are made whole, and wider than the rings g g g, so as to extend above them sufficiently to lceep the belt W upon the face of the wheel A, (seegs and 4,) and also when any hard substance is run over, to receive thc shock and protect the belt. The rings g g are bolted firmly to the arms of the wheel A, the bolts passing through them and the rings g gg on cach side of the ends of the arms, and also at even distances between the arms, and here the spaces between the rings are preserved by.ferrules,u^th:ough which the bolts pass. In this manner a strong, light wheel is made that willguide, drive, and protect the belt W, and also one that will not admit of earth accumulating upon its face. l

The wheel A is keyed upon its axle, which is also the axle of B, a wheel of the same size or radius as A, and, by means of a ratchet, helps drive the elevating apparatus, and oil'crs no obstruction to the turning ofl the machine when it yis turned one way. The frame G rests upon the axle of the wheels A and B, and is attached tothe axle by boxes fixed to each of the bars of the frame G. The boxes on each side of the wheel A are made to project beyond the bars of the frame G, toward the wheel A, and are roundedwith a rim on the end to receive and retain the clasps u u', g. 5, by which the draught-bars W W are attached to the boxes so as to secure thedraught ofthe plough and admit of its being raised and lowered without approaching the wheel The plough (see figs. 2 and 5) is composed of a share and mould-board, corresponding with an arc of a circle described with a. radius as much. larger than the radius of the wheel A as the thickness of' the deepest 'furrow-slice desired to be excavated, and enough of the are of such 4a circle is taken to admit of placing the ,shafts S so high that the belt V (see iig. 4) may not touch the ground. l

y The mould and share vT, so formed as wide as the face of the wheel A, and having their upper surfaces polished, are attached to the forward ends of the bars R R, (see figs. 4 and 5,) which are first turned downward, "-tlienzinward, t-henforwardanddownward, and curved to t the form ofthe mould-board. '.lhe sides of the I plough-frame R R are parallel, and high enough t-.o holdin their proper position the shafts S S, (see figs. 5 and 2,) and extend back to secure the rods O O, (see igsr., 4; and 5,) and are tied at their ends by a crossbar. The shaft S', with its. pulleys z z, is placedso that there will be' room for the belt V- to pass around it without touching tlreground, and so near to the upper edge of the mould-boardthat there will be just room enough for l the belt V to pass between the pulleys z z and the upper edge of the mould-board T. The shaft S (see iig. 5) is g* placed parallel to the shaft S', and the pulleys y y are so, placed as to be driven by the belt V, and the wheels .y y are-guides of the belt V. Guides are not needed on the shaft S', as the coulters serve this purpose. i The placing the shafts S S as described leaves a space at the lower fold of the belt V not obstructed with flanges or pulleys, through which any earth that falls into the fold of the belt may work out. With a single shaft and set of pulleys such earthwould be retained and clog the bell'I V.

The bars U U are rmly bolted to R R, (see figs. 2, 4, and 5,) and attached to the boxes before described by the clasps u u', so that there will be room forthe desired furrow-slice topass between the plough and the Y belt W on the wheel A, Vand so that the share may be set at the proper angle.v (See iig. 2.)

The pressure-belt V is made of common rubbervbelting, of the width of the desired furrow-slice, and is stiiened by cleats of wood,at frequent regular intervals, fastened with elevator-bolts or in any other substantial' mode. These slats or cleats are not used as cogs, but only to stiften the belt and to enable it to vrevolve on' pulleys with faces so narrow that the earth cannot accumulate on them, and such is the construction-'of the, pulleys marked y and (See figs. 3 and 5.) The belt V is longer than merely s'ucient to connect the shafts S S and the shaft X, but also of a length to admit the ascent of the furrow-slice between it and the belt W, and: the slack of the belt is taken up by the springs N N. The shafts X and X have belt-guides on them marked x. (See fig.

The belt W is of rubber, of the same Width as V, and is armored at very short regular intervals by riveting through and through narrow metallic strips placed opposite each other. This belt passes round the wheel A, between the rings g g', (see fig. 4,) and over the shaft X. (See iig. This armor stiffens the belt, keeps the rings g g from' cutting it, and saves it from abrasion when it comes in contact with the ground.v

Having described theconstruetion of our machine, we new describe its operation: nHaving attached a single span of-horses to the machine, the operator secures the proper tension to belt V, by bitching the springs N N to the frame L, and then steps upon the platform H, starts hisv team, and then lowers theV lever Q and lodges it in one of the notches of P. As the. plough enters the ground the furrow rises up, the mould-board is trimmed by the coulters, passes between them, and rises to the belt V, and by it is firmly pressed against the belt W, and as the belt W is carried up by the revolution of A, the friction of the furrow-slice on thebclt V scts it in motion, and the ascending'furrow-slice, laterally confined by the side boards, is lifted by the belts V and W, the tension of V increasing as the column 4of earth ascends, till itA is thrown out upon the slide F, whence itJ falls to the box E. This continues till the box is filled, when the lever is raised and the earth between thebelts isdischarged, when V ceases to move, unless the tension is great, and the machine is driven to the dump and the catches are lowered, the load'deposited, and the teams, if desired, all the time in motion. The catches are lifted by the cords attached to them, fastened'to plate b, and the machine returns for another load.'

The plough is placed so near the wheel A that it never cuts too thick a slice in uneven ground, the wheel lifting the plough as it passes over inequalities, and the plough can always be raised, as in rising it does not approach the wheel A. i l

This machine, in earth free from roots and stones, works well, is light, durable, easily managed, and requires only ordinary skill to operate it. I

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The construction and arrangement, in an excavator, of the pressure-belt V, when the same is driven by friction caused by the ascending furrow-slice, in the manner and for the purpose herein described.

2. The construction and arrangement of the two shafts S S, with their pulleys, in combination with the pressure-belt V, as herein described.

3. The 'combination of the` tightening-pulley L, frame L, and pressure-belt V, in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

ELIASH. WILLIAMS,

QD. R. W. WILLIAMS.

Witnesses:

H. M. SAWYER, H. L. WILLIAMS. 

